Many people use mobile nodes, such as cell phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs), to communicate with wireless-communication networks. These mobile nodes and networks typically communicate over a radio-frequency (RF) air interface according to a wireless protocol such as Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), perhaps in conformance with one or more industry specifications such as IS-95, IS-856, and IS-2000. Other protocols may be used instead or in addition, such as iDEN, TDMA, AMPS, GSM, GPRS, UMTS, EDGE, WiMAX (e.g., IEEE 802.16), LTE, microwave, satellite, MMDS, Wi-Fi (e.g., IEEE 802.11), and/or others.
Wireless-communication networks typically include a plurality of base transceiver stations (BTSs) or more generally “base stations”, each of which provides one or more wireless coverage areas. Each wireless coverage area may be subdivided into areas termed “sectors”. A mobile node positioned in a wireless coverage area can communicate over the air interface with the BTS, which typically provides the mobile node access to one or more circuit-switched, packet-switched, or other transport and/or signaling networks. Mobile nodes and BTSs conduct air-interface communication sessions (e.g. voice calls and data sessions) over radio frequencies known as “carrier frequencies” or simply “carriers.” Using a sector as an example of a coverage area, a BTS may provide service in a given sector on one or more carriers.
The BTSs for these networks typically are not associated with any subscriber or small group of subscribers in particular; rather, they are placed in publicly-accessible locations and used by a wireless service provider's (WSP's) customers generally. These BTSs collectively blanket geographic areas with coverage; as such, they are referred to generally and herein as “macro BTSs”—and the network they collectively form, or to which they collectively belong, is referred to generally and herein as the “macro network.”
From time to time, a WSP may change a macro network's infrastructure to manage call traffic and provide an expected quality of service, and/or for any other reason(s). This process may involve steps such as such as by moving macro BTSs, changing (i.e. increasing or reducing) the number of sectors in wireless coverage areas, adding new macro BTSs, reallocating carriers among sectors, or otherwise adjusting antennas and other RF equipment. To decide when and where to change the macro network, a WSP may monitor the performance of the macro network, including the signal strength of carriers in various locations. One way to monitor network performance is to send technicians into the field with mobile diagnostic measurement (MDM) tools to collect diagnostic data about network conditions. Collecting data about network conditions by driving or otherwise moving an MDM tool around a given geographic area is known as “drive testing.”
To address gaps in macro-network coverage (e.g., poor in-building coverage) and for other reasons, macro-network service providers have recently begun offering consumers devices referred to herein as Low-Cost Internet Base Stations (LCIBs). A typical LCIB will be installed in a building and may be approximately the size of a desktop phone or WiFi access point, and is essentially a low-power, low-capacity, low-cost version of a macro base station. Generally, an LCIB uses a normal power outlet, perhaps with a transformer providing a DC power supply. Typically, LCIBs have fairly comprehensive auto-configuration capabilities, such that they are largely “plug-and-play” to the user. An exemplary LCIB is the Sprint AIRAVE™ manufactured by Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC and sold by the Sprint Nextel Corporation.
LCIBs may also be referred to as femtocells, femto base stations, femto BTSs, picocells (pico base stations, pico BTSs), ubicells, microcells (micro base stations, micro BTSs), and perhaps by other names. The aforementioned terms that end in “cell” may also be generally and herein used interchangeably with the coverage area provided by the respective devices. Note also that “low-cost” is not used herein as a limiting term; that is, devices of any cost may be categorized as LCIBs, though most LCIBs typically will be less expensive on average than most macro-network base stations.
Many WSP subscribers, including private consumers and small businesses, in addition to having wireless service for their mobile node or nodes (which may include data service), also have a high-speed (a.k.a. “broadband”) Internet connection for transmitting and receiving data packets through another communication channel. A typical subscriber may have a router connected to both to their high-speed Internet connection (e.g., cable modem) and to one or more devices, including an LCIB.
As such, LCIBs typically have a packet-communication interface that takes the form of a wired (e.g., Ethernet) or wireless (e.g., WiFi) connection with the user's router, providing connectivity to the Internet and/or one or more other packet-data networks via the user's broadband connection. An LCIB may establish a virtual-private-network (VPN) connection over the Internet with an entity (e.g., a VPN terminator) on the wireless-service (macro-network) provider's core network, and thereby be able to communicate securely with the VPN terminator and other entities on that core network and beyond.
A typical LCIB also has a wireless-communication (e.g. CDMA) interface that is compatible with the WSP subscriber's mobile node(s). The LCIB may act as a micro base station, providing coverage on the WSP's network via the user's Internet connection. Usually, an LCIB will provide service on a single RF carrier (or on a single carrier per technology, where multiple technologies (i.e., CDMA, EV-DO) are supported).
An LCIB also may include a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver for use in receiving and decoding GPS signals. The GPS receiver may be used to determine location and to synchronize operations with other LCIBs and with the macro network based on timing information embedded in GPS signals.